Community colleges are having a positive impact in New Mexico based on a number of performance indicators that were reviewed during The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Advisory Board meeting Monday night on the UNM-LA campus.

UNM-LA Executive Director Dr. Cedric Page spoke about personnel matters and the college’s annual performance report. He presented a report about New Mexico community colleges that showed the results of community college performance-based indicators.

There are 10 areas in which colleges are measured: percent (of students) successful after three years; percent complete within 150 percent of time; percent placed in jobs in New Mexico; percent of white students enrolled; percent of Asian graduates; number enrolled in ABE (Adult Basic Education); number enrolled in SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) program; percent of programs with stable or increasing enrollment; percent persisting to following spring; and percent placed in jobs or continuing education in New Mexico.

Page said these measures reflect the impact of two-year schools.

“We’re getting our students out in a reasonable amount of time,” he said. “Seventy-four percent are completing (a degree) in three years.”

The numbers for FY11 increased in some areas and decreased in others. The percentage of successful students after three years stands at 74.4 percent this year, compared to 69 percent in FY10. The percent complete within 150 percent of time was at 56.9 percent in FY10 and 59.62 percent in FY11. The percent placed in jobs in New Mexico was higher last year, at 85.6 percent, but stands at 80.2 percent this year. The percent of white students enrolled was 47.6 percent last year and is 46.6 percent this year. The percent of Asian students also decreased by one percent this year. In FY10 the percentage was at two, while this year it’s at one.

There was a slight increase in the number of students enrolled in ABE. In FY10, it was 448, in FY11 it’s 459. However, the number of students enrolled in the SBCD program, saw a sharp decrease, from 434 to 313. The percent of programs with stable or increasing enrollment saw an uptick. The FY10 percentage was 57.6, while the FY11 percentage is 84.8. There was also a slight decrease in the percent of students persisting to following spring. FY10’s percentage was 80.9 and FY11’s percentage is 80.

In addition, the percentage of students placed in jobs or continuing education in New Mexico also increased slightly from 92 percent in FY10 to 97.3 percent in FY11.